PolandVisits and short stays

Poland family and friends visit visa: invitation and requirements

Schengen visa (type C) for visiting family or friends

In short

To visit relatives or friends in Poland for up to 90 days you apply for a Schengen visa with an invitation from your host. The strongest proof is an invitation entered in the voivode's register; a notarised invitation is also accepted. For visits over 90 days Polish consulates issue a national D visa for visits.

Apply on e-Konsulat (Polish online visa application system) checked 23 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any 180 days (type C); longer visits need a national D visa valid up to 1 year
Validity
Set by the consul according to the trip; single or multiple entry
Fee
€90Standard Schengen visa fee under the Visa Code: EUR 90 for adults, EUR 45 for children aged 6 to under 12, free under 6; consulates may collect it in local currency. Where the consulate uses an external service provider, its service fee is added. Not refunded if refused.
Funds required
PLN 75 per dayFor a family or private visit: PLN 75 per day (PLN 300 in total for stays up to 4 days), plus PLN 2,500 per person for the return journey when arriving from a non-EU country.
Processing time
Usually within 15 calendar days of a complete application; up to 45 days in individual cases
Work
No; a Schengen visa does not permit work in Poland
Family
Each family member applies separately with their own form and fee
Where to apply
In person at the Polish consulate responsible for your place of legal residence, or at the visa centre it uses, after registering in e-Konsulat

Who can use this route

Anyone visiting a person who lives in Poland — a Polish citizen or a foreigner with legal residence — can apply with that person's invitation. The visa is the same Schengen type C visa used for tourism; only the supporting documents differ.

The invitation

Two forms of invitation are accepted. The first is an official invitation registered by the voivode (the regional governor's office) where your host lives; if it was issued electronically, a printout is enough. The second is an invitation signed before a notary in which the host confirms covering your living and accommodation costs and states the length of the stay.

Add proof of the family relationship if there is one, for example a civil registry extract showing the link. For the long-stay D visit visa some consulates also accept an invitation signed in person by the inviting family member at the time of the application, on showing a valid Polish passport or ID card.

Required documents

Identity

  • Visa application form completed in e-Konsulat, printed and signed
  • One colour biometric photo 3.5 x 4.5 cm, white background, taken within the last 6 months, face covering 70–80% of the frame
  • If you are not a national of the country where you apply: proof of legal residence there, such as a residence permit valid beyond the planned stay; other civil-status documents as the consulate requests

Travel

  • Passport issued within the last 10 years, valid at least 3 months after the visa ends, with two blank pages, plus a copy of the data page and any other valid passport
  • Flight reservation or other proof of transport and route
  • Proof of accommodation: hotel booking or an official invitation (original and copy)

Money

  • Proof of funds: bank statements for the last 3 months, or credit card statements showing the available limit, or an employer letter with position and last 3 months' salary, or pension proof

Work

  • Employees: employer letter or leave approval stating your position, start date and the leave granted, with proof of employment as the consulate for your country requests

Family

  • Official invitation registered by the voivode (printout of the electronic version accepted) or a notarised invitation confirming who covers costs and how long you stay

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 cover, valid in all Schengen states (for a multiple-entry visa: the first trip)

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Work

  • Company owners: business registration and recent tax documents; students: student ID and certificate of enrolment

Family

  • Proof of family ties with the host, if any
  • Minors: notarised consent of both parents (or written consent of the other parent or guardian), birth certificate, and copies of the parents' passports and visas if travelling together

Money and accommodation

If your host covers your stay, the invitation serves as proof of accommodation and, in the case of a voivode-registered invitation, also as proof of funds. Otherwise show your own means: PLN 75 per day (PLN 300 for up to 4 days) plus PLN 2,500 for the return from a non-EU country.

Visits longer than 90 days

For a visit that will last more than 90 days, apply for a national visa (type D) for visiting purposes. It is valid for up to one year, costs EUR 135, and needs health insurance of at least EUR 30,000 covering every day of the stay in Poland. A D visa also lets you spend up to 90 days in any 180 in other Schengen states.

Refusal and reconsideration

A refused applicant may ask the consul who decided to reconsider the case within 14 days of receiving the refusal. The request is lodged where the consulate directs and carries a reconsideration fee set by the consulate. Spouses, dependent children under 21 and dependent parents of the applicant or spouse, and spouses of Polish citizens, do not pay it.

After reconsideration, a complaint can be filed with the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw within 30 days, through the consul. The consul charges nothing for forwarding it, but court fees apply.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Check that Poland is your main destination (longest stay, or first entry if stays are equal); otherwise apply to the main destination country.
  2. Complete the application form in e-Konsulat, print it and sign it.
  3. Book an appointment through e-Konsulat or, where the consulate uses one, through its external service provider, which may charge a service fee.
  4. Ask your host for the invitation (voivode-registered or notarised) early, then gather your own documents.
  5. Attend in person at the consulate or visa centre, give fingerprints (unless taken in the last 59 months) and pay the visa fee as the consulate directs.
  6. Collect the passport where you applied once the consul has decided.

Forms

Frequently asked questions

Where does my host get an official invitation?

At the voivodeship office (urząd wojewódzki) responsible for the host's place of residence, which enters it in the register of invitations. A notarised invitation is an accepted alternative.

Where should the invitation be notarised?

For the Schengen visa a notarised invitation is accepted without the notary's country being specified, so a notary in Poland, where your host lives, is the safest choice. Ask the consulate for your country whether it accepts other notarisations for the D visit visa.

Do I still need my own bank statements if I am invited?

Consulates list proof of funds for every applicant, so bring them; the invitation supports but does not always replace them.

Can I stay with my family in Poland for six months?

Not on a Schengen visa. For more than 90 days apply for a national D visa for visiting purposes, valid up to one year.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for Poland

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Maximum stay: D visa up to 1 year; residence permit 15 months at first, then the length of studies plus 3 months (max. 3 years)
  • Language course visa Maximum stay: As stated on the D visa, at most 1 year; 90 days in any 180 in other Schengen states
  • Researcher visa Maximum stay: Permit for the duration of the research, from more than 3 months up to 3 years
  • Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Intern permit: from more than 3 up to 6 months; D visa up to 1 year

Work

  • Work visa Maximum stay: D visa up to 1 year; single permit from more than 3 months up to 3 years
  • EU Blue Card Maximum stay: 3 months longer than the work contract, from more than 6 months up to 3 years
  • Job seeker visa Maximum stay: 9 months, granted once
  • Intra-company transfer visa Maximum stay: Up to 3 years for managers and specialists; up to 1 year for trainee employees
  • Seasonal work visa Maximum stay: At most 9 months per calendar year, counted from the first entry into Schengen that year

Family

Residence

Protection

Poland visa guide